N64 Games of December

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The last big wave of N64 releases arrives and we've got the full report in this month's breakdown.

By IGN Staff

Come one and come all -- take in the beauty that is the last considerable wave of Nintendo 64 software. It's slim pickings from here on out, folks, so you had better grab what you can now and run for the boarder. The month of December doesn't exactly deliver the Christmas offerings that you'll remember for years to come, but thanks to LucasArts and Factor 5 there are at least two solid products worth snapping up. Evidently Santa is intent on bringing home a selection of licensed 64-bit products to console owners -- everything from Star Wars and Indiana Jones to Donald Duck, Batman Beyond, WCW and Polaris snowmobiles. What more could you ask for? Err...

Our selected Game of the Month should come as no big surprise to most Nintendo 64 owners. LucasArts and Factor 5 have teamed up once again to bring cartridge owners a swan song of sorts in the form of Star Wars Episode I: Battle for Naboo. The title, a 3D shooter in the style of Rogue Squadron before it, pits players in the Episode I universe complete with all new vehicles and environments to explore. The technical wizards at Factor 5 have once again worked their magic for hugely improved visuals over Rogue, including (but not limited to) much bigger environments with no fogging, spectacular lighting effects, detailed vehicle models and water transparencies -- all running constantly at 640x480 in high-resolution mode.

The Episode I license may not be as attractive as darting down the chasm of the Deathstar with your X-Wing. But LucasArts and Factor 5 have upped the action element over Rogue to make up for it, with much more clever level design and the ability to fight on ground, water, in the air and, yes, even in outer space this time around. It all comes together with a polished look and feel that'll make your mouth water in anticipation of software to come from these two companies on Nintendo Gamecube.

What do you get when you take the PC version of Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, and fix the control scheme, improve the audio, polish up the texture work, add new maneuverability options and smack it all together in one package? Simple -- the Nintendo 64 version of the game. LucasArts and Factor 5 have taken a long, hard look at the flaws of the PC title and fixed them for Indy's journey to Nintendo 64. The end result is a 3D action-adventure in the style of Tomb Raider, with a fun storyline, challenging puzzles and a whole lot of exploration to boot.

Unfortunately, because of the dwindling Nintendo 64 market publisher LucasArts has been forced to release Indy as a Blockbuster rental exclusive, so it won't be available for purchase in retail outlets. However, it should be noted that the title is of the highest quality and shouldn't be passed up simply because it hasn't received a favorable retail release. If you're interested in a Tomb Raider like adventure, love Indiana Jones, or just want something new and challenging, we wholeheartedly recommend picking this one up at LucasArts' online store.

Did somebody say Rayman 2? Perhaps developer and publisher Ubi Soft thought so because that's exactly what it has turned to as inspiration for Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers. The title, a 3D platformer, features everyone's favorite Disney duck in his own jumping, running, stomping adventure. The whole affair looks great and controls well enough, but neither aspect of the game equals up to those presented in Rayman 2, which it clearly tries to mimic. Goin' Quackers isn't a poor platformer, to be sure, it's just a formulaic one. If you can deal with that and you're crazy about the duck, this one's for you.

From Vatical Entertainment comes Polaris SnoCross for Nintendo 64, a racer featuring the popular Polaris license and based around -- you guessed it, snowmobiles. The title features a strong selection of race tracks and mobiles to choose from, but overall the play is a little on the clunky side and the visuals won't exactly grab you and knock you out (especially given the decidedly jumpy framerate). The title is most recommended as a rental for snowmobile fanatics and those looking for a different kind of racer.

Hot off the heels of its dismal rental-only Daikatana 64, development studio Kemco is now taking a stab at bringing the Dark Knight to life via code. But be warned, this is not the classic Bruce Wayne Batman adventure that most are probably familiar with. This version of the bat is based upon the recent FOX cartoon series of the same name where Mr. Wayne is an old man and a new, more modern Batman stalks the streets fighting crime. And sadly, this game is looking to live up to the high standards of Kemco's previous first-person shooting title -- which isn't a good thing. Clumsy control and a tired Final Fight-style brawl formula don't work well for this button masher, and it doesn't have pretty graphics to fall back on.

Wrestling Reason to Own an N64 #2: WCW Backstage Assault. This latest free-for-all cart alloys players to frolic and romp around pretty much everywhere you'd want to except for one place: the ring. Unlike regular wrestling, there are no refs, no rules, and no scripted punches here. Players can interact with their environments in many ways to help pound their opponents into the concrete in good old WCW fashion. If you're a hardcore WCW fan, then we really don't have to guess that you're going to get this title regardless of how we tell you it plays. But for less enthusiastic fans or those who might be interested in some good multiplayer "death by sink" action, then stay tuned as we bring you our review in a couple of weeks.

And last but certainly not least, the month of December is proud to welcome an old friend to the N64 lineup: Scooby-Dooby-Doo. If that name doesn't ring a bell, then you certainly were a deprived child growing up and owe it to yourself to rent some classic Scooby episodes as soon as possible. The whole gang of wacky crime solvers is headed to the Nintendo home console thanks to, once again, the folks at THQ. Players will control Shaggy as Scooby follows you around through all the standard Scooby settings. And to answer the question you are all certainly pondering -- yes, Scooby Snacks will indeed make an appearance. Fans of the series old and young alike are sure to enjoy this simple adventure at the end of the month when the title ships to stores. In the meantime, check out this recent interview with publisher THQ right here for more Scooby-Dooby-details.

And that, dear Nintendo 64 owners, wraps up the offerings coming out for the month of December. Take them in and savor every second of these new releases because it's the last big month in the console's history, and it's going to be a long, long, long wait for Gamecube.